Lasik eye surgery

10 Stories

FDA Adviser Who Backed Lasik Now Opposes It

'We ignored the data on vision distortions,' expert says

(Newser) - Morris Waxler was so supportive of Lasik that he voted to approve the new eye surgery as an FDA adviser more than 20 years ago. He'd like to change his vote now. As horror stories mounted, CBS reports, "I re-examined the documentation … and I said, 'Wow...

Post-Surgery Taylor Swift Gets Emotional Over a Banana

Jimmy Fallon says he got the footage from her mom

(Newser) - Taylor Swift was on "some pretty hardcore pills" when she nearly cried over a banana. And there's footage to prove it, thanks to Jimmy Fallon and Swift's own mother. "Your mom may or may not have videotaped you after [Lasik eye] surgery. And she gave us...

Meteorologist Left Behind a 30-Page Suicide Note

After weeks of complications, Jessica Starr 'started to withdraw from life'

(Newser) - The family of a TV meteorologist who committed suicide after undergoing laser eye surgery says a series of videos found on her phone and a 30-page suicide note make clear her Dec. 12 suicide was linked to her Lasik SMILE surgery in October. "There was nothing else that we...

Meteorologist's Suicide Puts Lasik Risks in Spotlight

Jessica Starr expressed she was struggling after having the procedure in October

(Newser) - While it hasn't yet been established whether the Lasik-type eye surgery a 35-year-old meteorologist had in October contributed to her Dec. 12 suicide , Jessica Starr's death is putting the surgery's rare complications into the spotlight. The Lasik SMILE surgery Starr had was approved by the FDA in...

TV Meteorologist Kills Self at 35
TV Meteorologist
Kills Self at 35
Dec 13, 2018 3:08 PM CST

TV Meteorologist Kills Self at 35

Jessica Starr leaves behind 2 young children

(Newser) - A TV meteorologist died by suicide amid a struggle with complications from Lasik surgery. Fox 2 Detroit announced Jessica Starr's death on air Thursday morning, saying in a statement her colleagues are "in deep shock." Starr underwent Lasik SMILE surgery in October, posting on Facebook that it...

Thinking About Lasik? The Risks Are Painfully Real

Patient advocates complain not enough warnings are given on complications that can be severe

(Newser) - The promise of Lasik is it may offer an end to contacts and glasses; the reality is that it could lead to problems that may leave you longing for the old contacts and glasses. The New York Times reports on long-documented complications—including post-procedure complaints of double vision, painful dry...

Fashionistas Sporting Specs, Even With 20/20 Vision

The four-eyed look is in, experts say, but view is murky for Lasik surgery

(Newser) - Eyeglasses are no longer just for the optically challenged: Fashionistas everywhere see them as the latest must-have (eye)piece and are stocking up on non-prescription glasses to match every outfit, the Wall Street Journal says. Seeing wasn’t believing for one man who underwent Lasik surgery but continues to sport his...

LASIK Patients Urge Better Oversight

Eye surgery can have serious side-effects, they tell FDA

(Newser) - Patients experiencing painful and sometimes debilitating side-effects of LASIK eye surgery urged regulators today to keep a closer watch on the procedure, Reuters reports. A surgeon speaking to an FDA panel—soliticing advice for possible warnings after receiving 140 complaints—did not discount the allegations but said “the great...

FDA Probes Lasik Patients' Woes
 FDA Probes Lasik Patients' Woes
Apr 25, 2008 3:00 AM CDT

FDA Probes Lasik Patients' Woes

Thousands have nightmare results

(Newser) - Patients who have experienced complications following popular Lasik eye surgery will tell their nightmare stories to a panel of the Food and Drug Administration today. The procedure to correct nearsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism is coming under increasing scrutiny following reports of excessively dry eyes, and of "starbursts" and "...

Staring at US Recession, Lasik Eye Surgery Blinks

As with last downturn, fewer people springing for corrective procedure

(Newser) - Corrective laser eye surgeries have declined sharply in the past year, a fall-off attributed to the economic slump—and expected to deepen as the recession continues, the New York Times reports. “We’re forecasting a 17% drop for 2008,” said one market researcher, who expects first-quarter data to...

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